


Frying Pan of Wicked Loves

by jesterlady



Category: Veronica Mars (TV)
Genre: Angst and Humor, BFFs, Canon Het Relationship, F/M, Get Together, Makeup, Relationship(s), Resolution, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-13
Updated: 2012-05-13
Packaged: 2017-11-05 06:56:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/403638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jesterlady/pseuds/jesterlady
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Wallace is tired of Veronica and Mac moping around about their lives.  He sets out to do something.  Involves haunted houses, snark, being locked in a room together and awesome!Wallace.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Frying Pan of Wicked Loves

**Author's Note:**

> Timewise this is probably about post-S3 for LoVe. Could be earlier than that for MaDi. Just go with it.  
> Disclaimer: I don't own VM. The title is by Augustine

“You want us to go to a haunted house?” Veronica asked incredulously. 

Wallace nodded.

“It’s Halloween time, Veronica. We gotta get our spook on in some way and that's impossible while you're sitting around moping.”

“I do not mope. Maybe an occasional sulk, but never mope.” 

Wallace nodded as they moved up in the line.

“Yeah, sure. Just like that. Whatever you call it, we gotta stop it. Get your head over Logan. I don’t care if he dumped you or you dumped him. Nobody can keep track anymore, not even you. Just do this with me.”

“Just you and me like personal BFF time?”

“Well, we gotta bring Mac, cause she…she’s almost as bad as you with the not moping.”

“That’s true. She has been on the not-so-cheerful-Mac side of life lately. I still think she’s strung up from everything that happened.”

“She’s not the only one,” Wallace said quietly. 

Veronica was sure she’d heard something, but kept her mouth shut. 

“So we do the Halloween thing, you, me and Mac.”

Wallace nodded. 

“I got some things to take care of, so, I’ll catch ya.”

Veronica nodded, then caught sight of Logan across the food court and ducked behind a potted plant. Running away, no she was not. Hiding, that’s what she was doing.

***

Wallace wasn’t quite sure how to go about this. He didn’t think he’d ever even talked to the guy. But his plan was not going to work without it. Hanging outside the door of their general psych class, Wallace waited for Dick. Dick spent most of his time chatting up girls after each class, so Wallace was fairly sure that he’d be last out.

Today, however, Dick was arguing with a girl, not chatting her up. Wallace was fairly sure he could recognize the voice as well.

“I don’t want to talk about it, Dick.”

“Come on. You’re so uptight. Maybe if you’d be more loose and carefree, well, let’s just say you’d have more customers.”

“Did you ever think that maybe I don’t want customers? Customers like you?”

“Well, there are doors even I won’t enter. I’m not taking my younger brother’s leftovers.”

“Newsflash, Dick. Your brother never got a chance with me. Guess he was too busy being a murderer and rapist before deciding he couldn’t take it anymore. Gee, I wonder how he got that way.” 

Mac stormed out the door, nearly knocking Wallace over. He rubbed his shoulder, catching a glimpse of tears in her eyes. Now probably wasn’t the best time to talk to Dick, but it didn’t change facts.

“Dude, you’re blocking the door.”

“Sorry, man.” Wallace moved aside. “Listen, I need your help with something.”

“Fashion or real estate?”

“Neither. It’s about Logan.”

“What about him?” Dick leaned over the water fountain.

“I think he should go to the haunted house.”

“Okay, glad we got that cleared up for ya.” Dick wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and moved away. 

Wallace hurried to catch up.

“I just want you to bring him there so he can catch up with Veronica.”

“I guess you didn’t hear yet. He’s over that girl. Good riddance too.”

“He may be over it, but, there are some things that need to be said.”

“Like?”

“Things.”

“Totally convinced me then. Let’s do this again in a million years.”

“Dick.” Wallace leaned over and whispered in Dick’s ear, playing his trump card. 

Dick’s face slowly took on interest.

“Haunted house, huh?”

“All you have to do is take her out of the way for a sec.”

“Done and done.”

Wallace sighed as he watched Dick walk down the hallway. If anyone said he didn’t love his friends… Now he just had to get Piz on board and synchronize their watches. Yes, the geek in him was having fun.

***

“I’m pretty sure this is the lamest haunted house ever,” Mac observed upon walking up the front steps and handing her ticket to the man at the counter. “I could throw some fake cobwebs over my house and get the same effect.”

“For charity, Mac,” Wallace said. “Give it a break.”

“I probably could break it,” she muttered. 

The three headed down the hallway, past the fake skeletons and pools of blood.

Wallace spotted Logan out of the corner of his eye. He’d just followed Dick into one of the open rooms. A few seconds later Dick came down the hall.

“Mac, I need to talk to you,” Dick said in a conspiratorial tone and winked, not at all subtly, at Wallace.

“I don’t want to talk to you, Dick.”

“It’s of supreme importance. Like saving the world important.”

“By killing you? Cause that I’d be interested in.”

“Ha, ha. I feel wounded. Please, let’s just talk and get it over with.” 

Mac rolled her eyes and followed him down the hall into a room. Wallace could make out Piz hiding behind one of the open coffins. 

“Come on,” he gestured to Veronica. “Let’s check out this one.”

“Cause it will be different than all the other badly done horror.” 

She waved her hands in the air as if to emphasize the obviously recorded spooky sounds, but she walked with him down the hall.

“After you,” he said. “I’m feeling chivalrous today.”

“I die of surprise,” Veronica said and walked in, stopping short when she saw Logan examining a wrapped mummy on the table with flashing red eyes. She turned to leave, but the door slammed shut in her face and Wallace shoved the lock home, leaving her trapped with Logan.

On the other side, Wallace peered down the hall and saw Piz giving him the thumbs up sign. They walked back to the entrance and Wallace slipped the ticket guy a few bills, and got his, Veronica’s, Dick’s, Logan’s and Mac’s cell phones back. He took down the no cell phone sign he’d made and shoved it in his pocket.

“Thanks, man. We’ll be inside. Not to worry.”

“Sure thing, bro.”

“You can go if you want,” Wallace told Piz. “Your part’s over.”

“I gotta get to the station. My show’s soon.”

“I’ll be listening while I wait.”

Wallace settled in the easy chair with the blood dripping down it and pulled out his radio, a bottle of water and his engineering book from behind the back of it. He waited until the shouts and banging stopped, then clicked on the radio and sat back to await the results of his plan.

***

“I’m going to kill, Wallace,” Veronica gritted through her teeth. “It’s cute, real cute leaving me trapped in here.”

“Well, I’m having a swell time,” Logan said in a false, cheery tone. “It’s not even my friends who locked me in here. No, I’m getting sucked into your problems.”

“My problems? Wallace wouldn’t have locked you in here if he didn’t think you were a part of it.”

“I don’t think he’s the brightest kid on the block. Isn’t he here on a basketball scholarship?”

“Don’t mock my friends. I may be planning his murder and I could do it too, having gotten an A plus on that paper, but only I get to speak badly of him!”

Logan leaned against the wall with his hands behind his head.

“Veronica, protector of the innocent, defender of the weak.”

“Well, when the powerful rich get their dander up, somebody’s gotta.”

“Oh, I see, so you’re prejudiced against rich people. Suddenly, everything makes sense.”

“Can you blame me after everything I’ve seen?”

“You were no innocent. Some people go through life differently, you can’t accept that.”

“I don’t have to accept things that are wrong!”

“Wrong by your standards? Cause I’m pretty sure you’re not the world’s accepted expert.”

“By common decency, Logan. The things you do to the poor kids in this town are wrong.”

“What about the things they do to us? And instigate against us?”

“Provoked.”

“Sure, guilty. No trial, no defense, Logan’s always wrong. Logan always messes up. Veronica’s perfect.”

“I’m not perfect.” 

Veronica slid down the wall. If this was going to last long, she might as well get comfortable.

“Then why did I always feel like I couldn’t do anything right? That you were always waiting for me to make a mistake?”

“Because you always made a mistake. And just to prove I’m not perfect, I went out with you, didn’t I?”

“Are you ten? Veronica, admit that we had a relationship. Maybe it ended badly, but there were times when you wanted to be with me. And then didn’t. And then did again.”

“So, I’m addicted. Bad habits are hard to break.”

“Or you just can’t completely fool yourself into thinking this was nothing.”

“It wasn’t nothing.” She shrugged. “It just-It didn’t work. We should both admit that and get on with our lives.”

“What didn’t work?” Logan sat down in an armchair similar to the one Wallace was occupying. “Give me the Veronica Mars diagnostic.”

“You, with your snarkiness and inability to grow up.”

“You, with your judgment and hypocrisy.”

Veronica narrowed her eyes. Maybe she should try banging on the door again.

***

“So, like, did you plan this?”

Mac rolled her eyes and gave up the pounding. 

“Like I would plan this, Dick. You’re the one who wanted to talk to me, remember?”

“Yeah, but with the door open. I’m a gentleman that way.”

“Then that’s the only way as far as I can see.”

“You don’t have to be so snippy. We may have been not so friendly in the past, but hey, we’re all we’ve got now.”

“Not so friendly?” Mac gave him an incredulous look. “Dick, I blame you for everything wrong in my life. You blame me. We’re blamers. That’s not friendly at all.”

“Generally, I can forgive somebody anything if I’ve had enough to drink.” Dick looked around the room. “I see our prison doesn’t come with complimentary malt beverages. Bad form.”

“Really? Cause I hear when you’ve had too much to drink, you finally stop this charade of Joe College and come clean with it all.”

“I think it’s kinda like 50-50.” He appeared to think about it for a second. “Yeah, or like 60-40. Besides, I’m not the only one who clams it all up. Look at you.”

“What about me?”

“You’re all getting honors in every class and dating guys and yet anytime anybody even mentions the Beav’s name, you clam up like a clam or something.”

“Well, maybe I can get a job as a clam impersonator then. Dick, I’m not talking about this with you. What happened…happened.” Mac’s face wore the tight look it got whenever she thought about Cassidy. “Your brother is none of your business when it comes to me.”

“He’s my brother.” His voice got softer. “Was. Whatever. Everything concerns me. You may think me calling him Beaver was all mean and stuff, but it was my name for him. It’s not my fault everybody starting calling him that. It used to be special.”

“Then you probably shouldn’t have started shouting it at the flagpole every morning.”

He didn’t say anything for a minute.

“I’m not perfect. But I have been through a lot. And you have too. And kinda about the same stuff. We should talk about it.”

Mac inwardly groaned. She wasn’t sure who had locked her in here, but whoever it was, was going to pay.

***

Veronica could tell that he was itching to say something. Staying quiet had never been his strong point and now that he had her at his mercy, it was obviously testing all his resolve.

“Just spit it out or do some jumping jacks cause you’re making me crazy.”

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you? Give you something else to think bad of me about.”

“I’ve already got fuel for my fire, Logan. If you want to add more, it’s not going to make it any brighter.”

“Technically, I believe that’s what more fuel would do.”

“Okay, smartass. Your high test scores got you into college. What have you learned?”

“Weight class is a class. Oh, and the best way to get blood out of a white shirt. Plus, never bring your high school problems with you.”

“I don’t think any of us get out of that one,” she answered glumly, leaning her head against the wall. 

His face softened somewhat.

“Look, for what it’s worth, I’m…not immune to that fact that I made it somewhat hard to trust me at points.”

“Big concession,” she said, but her tone lacked some of its earlier bite. “I know I’m a bitch. Let’s just drop it at that. We both have faults, they make us incompatible and that’s that.”

“They don’t.”

“What?”

“If anything our faults make us more compatible.”

“When we’re a train wreck waiting to smash everyone’s lives with our drama?”

“Exactly! We could never face life without knowing someone out there felt and was the same.”

“We are not the same.”

“Not clones, Veronica. But you have to admit we shared a lot.”

“A lot of hell.”

“Some heaven too,” he reminded her. “Stop focusing on the bad.”

“Okay, so there was some heaven going on. Doesn’t mean it wasn’t outweighed by the hell.”

“Hell could become heaven if it’s turned in the right direction.”

“Heaven ward?”

“Yeah.” 

Veronica sighed. She could see his point, but she was tired. Too tired to make another go at the roller coaster of emotions that symbolized her relationship with Logan. They’d both got on and off so many times, she wasn’t sure which end was the front or where the ride even went.

“So, how’s school going?” he asked, abruptly changing the subject. “You notice I didn’t start a weighty subject. I prefer to act like an adult and be cordial, even casually interested in your life.”

“Very nice,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Since when did you become so pro-us, even just friends-wise, anyway?”

“It may have escaped your notice before but I have always cared about you. Not always shown it nicely, but I can’t be indifferent to you, no matter how hard I might try.”

She had to swallow at that. The same could be said about her concerning him. It was something she tried not to think about, even when her actions showed it as she ran from him every time she saw him.

“Indifference isn’t really our look. But if we can’t be indifferent and we’re not suited for love, then that really only leaves us with sarcasm and retreating.”

“That’s supposing your premise is correct,” he said and changed the subject. She went along with it, even though her mind was still on his words.

***

“Look, talking isn’t an option. It wouldn’t be a good idea to shed some real blood to go along with the fake stuff.”

“Mac, you remember what I told you at the beach?”

“Yes, I remember,” she answered through gritted teeth.

“I think I really meant it. It’s hard for me to actually mean things. But I am sorry. It’s just not something I’m used to.”

“Well, I’m not used to you being sorry either.”

“We’ve got something in common.” 

He grinned at her and picked up a skeleton bone and started to play with it. 

She had to smile. He was such a little boy sometimes. Occasionally, a mannerism would remind her of Cassidy and then she either had to flinch or run or laugh or cry. Most of the time, she did all four. She couldn’t deny that she had been incredibly broken by her relationship with Cassidy. But the thought of Dick trying to counsel her wasn’t nearly as repugnant as it had once been. It was almost sweet, and certainly laughable.

“Okay, okay. We have him in common. But since he didn’t steal all your clothes and leave you stranded in a hotel, I think you probably had it better.”

“That’s crap,” Dick said sharply. “My little brother committed suicide right outside where I live! He was a mass murderer. How long did you go out with him anyway? How long was I his brother? How much did you mistreat him? How much did you pick on him? You don’t have to blame yourself for anything you ever did. I have to blame myself for everything!” He looked slightly shocked at his outburst and turned to face the wall, trying to compose himself. He definitely hadn’t meant to do that.

Mac swallowed. It was easy to guess what he meant and to fill in any blanks he hadn’t already filled. But it wasn’t simple. It just made her feel worse and she couldn’t even blame him.

She wished she could run. Instead, she walked forward hesitantly and put one hand on his shoulder.

“Hey…it’s, it’s okay.”

***

“The least he could have done was leave us some entertainment,” Logan said after about the fifth time Veronica beat him at rock, paper, scissors.

“Somehow, I don’t think us playing games was Wallace’s prerogative,” Veronica said dryly. 

She sighed and looked around. She felt naked without her cell phone. A good move on Wallace’s part. Darn Wallace and his knowing her so well. This room was beginning to feel like home, like she’d always been here. It was probably a bad sign.

“Well, fighting means we won’t be bored,” Logan said, as if sensing her anxiety and trying to cheer her.

Veronica smiled, almost without meaning to.

“What?” he asked, after a minute.

“I missed this,” she admitted. “When we’re not trying to kill each other, it’s fun.”

“I am fun,” he agreed emphatically. “So nice of you to have noticed.”

“Don’t push your luck,” Veronica said, pushing herself off the ground. She walked over to where he was lounging on the loveseat with the bloody feathers half pulled out of the pillows. “Scooch.”

“Pardon?” he asked, politely incredulous.

“I want to sit, move over.”

“Right here, next to me?” 

He obliged and moved. She sat down, facing him. The seat was big enough to fit them, but their knees touched in a casual intimacy that she was shocked to find as natural as ever.

“I just want to ask you something.”

“Ask away.” 

His face bore a curious mask, but she could tell he was trying to keep his expression as neutral as possible.

“Why me?”

“Why you what?”

“Why is it me you’re always harassing in some mode or another?”

“Hardly a fair question,” he said. “I never harass you.”

“Is there some reason why I feel like we’re always locked in a room together?” 

She didn’t want to meet his eyes. Since being in the room, she’d run through the entire range of her emotions. She’d gotten out her anger at him. She’d almost cried several times. She’d been afraid and claustrophobic and hysterical. She’d grown quiet with acceptance. Now she was feeling philosophical and just a little bit more agreeable to fate if it wanted to come knocking.

“Perhaps it’s out of our control?”

“But you. You about me. That’s what I want answers for.”

“Would you answer those same questions about yourself?”

“I don’t know if I have answers.”

“Well, neither do I.”

***

“Do you really blame yourself?” Mac asked hesitantly. 

She wasn’t quite sure how it happened, but she was sitting on the floor and Dick’s head was in her lap.

“When I’m not busy blaming my dad,” he said indifferently. “Sometimes my mom. There’s a lot of Casablancas blame going on.”

“For me too,” she said.

“So, are we like friends now?”

“Did you ever think it possible?”

“Not really. Kinda hoped not actually.”

“Don’t worry, I really hoped not.”

“Don’t go getting all angry again. I like you more calm.”

“Just for you then,” she said, rolling her eyes.

“So, why are we friends?” he asked. “Cause I’m feeling like there’s still more to be said.”

“I promise that we can talk about…him if you want, but there’s too much to say. My therapist won’t be done with me until 2020.”

“Dude, my court appointed therapist told me I was like hopeless and to not even bother showing up again.”

“Probably got his degree on the Internet.”

“I thought the certificate looked familiar.” 

Dick grinned up at her and Mac was shocked to find herself grinning back. His smile was so infectious and it didn’t even remind her of Cassidy. A good sign.

“It’s a pretty mouth,” he said.

“I’m not one of your bimbos, Dick.”

“You’re better. You’ve got a brain and all.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“Seriously, I mean it. You’ve got this way with you. You’re all odd, but geeky. Your own person and yet very unsure. I don’t know why but I feel kind of like protecting you or something.”

“Could Dick Casablancas have a chivalrous, chauvinistic side?”

“Don’t those words kinda contradict?”

“And he knows words. My day’s been shot to hell.”

Dick twisted around so that he was sitting, looking at her directly.

“No joke, Mac. I don’t want to hurt you anymore. So, if you could forgive me, maybe I wouldn’t.”

“I forgive you,” she said simply. “It’s other people I have to work out. You’re almost simple, like a pal from next door in the psych ward.”

“Comforting.”

“Yes, you are. But there’s one thing I want to know from you.”

“Like?”

“Are bimbos still your main desire?” 

Dick obviously had to think about that for a minute.

“Maybe I’m growing,” he said in response and kissed her. 

She hesitated for one second and then kissed him back.

“Grow more and stay grown,” she said firmly. 

He looked at her eyes and she remembered everything.

“Sure.” 

Then he kissed her again.

***

He wasn’t quite sure how their positions had shifted. But they were leaning companionably against each other on the floor in front of the love seat. They’d been talking about completely platonic subjects for the last half hour and he’d been surprised to learn how much he never really knew about the not-in-crisis Veronica.

“Favorite ice cream?” she asked after apparently running out of things to say. 

He pondered the question before answering quickly.

“Rocky road.”

“And why is that, Logan?” she asked, her tone saying she already knew the answer.

“Because life is a rocky road,” he said in a ridiculously slow voice. 

She laughed and slapped his knee.

“You’re impossible.”

“Somehow only regarding you,” he murmured. 

She stopped laughing and he caught his breath when she turned to look at him.

“Why can’t it be like this?” she asked sadly. “Why does it always have to blow up?”

“It can be like this,” he assured her. “But that doesn’t mean that it’s going to be easy. It takes work. We don’t live in a movie.”

“Well, if we were in a movie, we would miraculously make up after an inspiring speech right about now.”

“I could make one if you like,” he whispered, but jested. 

She raised an eyebrow at the thought.

“Don’t try,” she pleaded. “This already feels perfect, thank you.”

“But I’m really good at it,” he begged sarcastically.

“Why are you the one saying all the right things?”

“Cause you ask the questions.”

“Shut up,” she said, without malice. 

He did and then turned to her with his own question. It had been burning in his mind since they’d been in this room. How long, he didn’t know. Four, maybe five hours. Longer if Wallace’s vindictive side was in control.

Logan had never thought of being with Veronica again. He didn’t know how not to be with her, but he refused to fight a lost cause. He saw her run from him every time he came near and he nursed a grim satisfaction at the thought. Veronica Mars, intrepid detective, ran from him. 

But as soon as she’d talked to him again, the question that had plagued him for years rose again.

“What if we tried again?”

“What if we did?”

“Veronica, plain speech would be helpful.”

“I can’t tell you how much I want to,” she finally admitted. “But we’re at the point of an almost ridiculous number of times to get back together. If we break up again, our faces are going to be red.”

“I can think of other ways for them to get red,” he suggested. 

Her face did blush a slight crimson, but she simply shook her head.

“Intriguing, but not my point. I’m still mad at you. You’re probably mad at me.”

“Never really seemed to stop us.”

“Okay.”

“Excuse me?”

“Okay. You, me, forever rhumba. Let’s go.”

“That is probably the weirdest expression I’ve ever heard.”

“Shut up. Kiss me. Then I am going to kill Wallace.”

“I’ll probably just shake his hand,” Logan decided and kissed her.

***

Wallace was feeling pretty pleased with himself. It cost him more than he thought it would to give up his tickets to Dick. But his dad would be glad they went to a good cause. Courtside seats were overrated. Veronica and Logan were back together. Mac wasn’t a zombie. He, himself, passed engineering. 

“A lot to be said for Fennel when he takes the court,” he crooned to himself, making a perfect basket in the air.


End file.
